A quick peek at the stat sheet would suggest a routine or uneventful first game in a Pittsburgh Penguins sweater Thursday for new defenseman Sam Girard.
Girard, skating for 17 minutes, 53 seconds against the New Jersey Devils, recorded no points or shots with an even plus-minus rating.
“Not too bad,” was how the 27-year-old blueliner chalked up Game 1 with Pittsburgh after being dealt by the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
“Just got to adjust to a new system, new teammates — everything is kind of new,” Girard continued. “But I think it was a pretty good first game.”
Coach Dan Muse was more generous in his assessment of Girard, who practiced only one time with the Penguins on Wednesday before being thrown into the deep end with his new club.
“That first period especially, where I thought maybe we were putting ourselves in some tough situations, I thought he made a couple really good defensive reads and plays at the net,” Muse said. “Good stick detail down low — some of those things that might look like little things, but they’re really big things.”
Girard, initially paired with franchise pillar Kris Letang during his lone practice session in Cranberry, continued with that deployment against New Jersey on Thursday, a 4-1 win for the Penguins, who resumed play following the Olympic break.
Brett Kulak, Letang’s former partner, was Colorado’s return piece in exchange for Girard, who places more of a premium on puck movement and offensive facilitation with his style of play, traits Letang can relate to.
An additional bond (and potentially making communication a bit easier) is Girard’s and Letang’s mutual French Canadian roots.
While it remains to be seen if Muse keeps the pair together, Girard, who admitted he’s far from mastered the Penguins’ playbook or on-ice calls, was pleased enough with his first game aside Letang.
“We all know he’s a good player,” Girard said. “He’s got great vision, so I’m not too worried about him. It was pretty easy to play with him and like I said, it’s still going to be an adjustment. It was my first game with him, so I think it’s just going to get better and better.”
During his nine-plus seasons with the Avalanche, Girard had a penchant for blocking shots, posting at least 90 six times and eclipsing 100 twice.
Girard led the Penguins on Thursday with four blocked shots, and goalie Arturs Silovs, who stopped 28 of 29 shots in the victory, took notice.
“He looked good,” Silovs said of Girard. “Some big blocks in front of me. Really appreciate that. He fits pretty well.”
Girard in Colorado was active on the penalty kill, recording over a minute per night shorthanded in his 40 games played for the Avalanche at the time of being traded.
While Muse did not use Girard on the Penguins’ first two penalties of the night, as infractions mounted, Girard eventually got some shorthanded action, seeing 2:22 on that unit by game’s end.
On top of getting adjusted to how the Penguins play overall, learning Muse’s penalty kill will be another element of Girard’s acclimation over the ensuing days and weeks.
For now, the first game in new surroundings is out of the way.
“For my first game, I think it was pretty good,” Girard said. “But I’m still going to have to adjust to (this new) system. We’re going to do some video to make sure I’m getting better and better every game. … It’s going to take me a little bit, (but) it was a pretty good first game.”
Added Muse: “It’s a big two points for us, and I thought (Girard) played a good part in it.”